Assembly Polls: 4 arrested for handing out cash for votes

In one incident, three people caught in Kothrud admitted they were distributing money to influence people to vote for a candidate of the constituency

Aiding the Election Commission by keeping a close eye on political parties and deterring them from paying voters, police has arrested four people on Tuesday for allegedly distributing money to influence votes for today’s assembly elections. Three people have been taken into custody from Kothrud and one person was arrested in Khadki.

In the first incident, the trio was distributing cash at Shastri Nagar. The accused had the voters list and were calling out names of the residents and handing over money to them. Kothrud police has identified the accused as Abhijit Mohan Jagtap (33), Satish Kondiba Sawant (37) and Subash Damu Shinde (42). “We received information that some people were distributing money in Kothrud area and we sent a team of five policemen to nab them. The three accused are auto rickshaw drivers and two of them were caught red-handed distributing the money.

They have accepted that the money was being distributed to influence people to vote for NCP candidate Baburao Chandere. We also recovered the gunny bag which contained Rs 31,100 cash. They have been booked under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 171e (Bribery) of Indian Penal Code,” informed Suryakant Nathuram Kamble, senior police inspector of Kothrud police station.

In the second incident, a 25-year-old was arrested for distributing money at Aundh road in Khadki. Cops managed to seize Rs 17,000 from the youth identified as Prasad Tukaram Bhosale from Tanaji wadi. “Bhosle was distributing money to the residents of Aundh road and during interrogation he admitted he was doing it for a political party,” said an officer from Khadki police station. However, the senior police inspector of the station was not able to confirm the name of the party and candidate.